Nov 08 2012
How the Stop Helps Stop Hunger
The Stop Community Food Centre, commonly called the Stop, was one of Canada’s first food banks and is now leading the way in revolutionizing the industry. The main point differentiating them from other food banks is that they don’t simply hand out food and wait for the government to provide grants. Through innovative fundraisers such as night markets, partnerships with upscale restaurants, and catering programs, they no longer rely as strongly on outside sources, which leads to greater sustainability of their business in the long run. Additionally, revenue from their initiatives have grown by 100% each year for the past three years — so it’s no wonder why they’re considered to be such a successful example of a social enterprise.
The ‘social’ aspect of this social enterprise is healthy food, whether it’s providing access to it, teaching people the benefits of it, or promoting it to the general public. It’s certainly an interesting twist compared to average, run-of-the-mill food banks that the Stop has criticized, calling them “an inadequate, and often harmful, response to more systemic societal dysfunction.” They promote a lifestyle and an ideal, which will hopefully continue to be the driving force behind this center of social change.
Related Links:
Canadian Business: The Stop: The capitalist’s guide to feeding the poor